Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has met with the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai on the margins of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in a bilateral meeting.
Prime Minister Marape and Prime Minister Salwai discussed issues of common significance and mutual concern, especially relating to the Melanesian Spear- head Group and the greater Pacific Islands Forum family of nations.
High among them was Prime Minister Marape’s proposal for an Air Services Agreement between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu to capitalize on PNG’s strategic position as the “bridge” between Asia and the Pacific; and a Development and Technical Cooperation Agreement to explore opportunities in the development of fisheries, especially in the downstream processing of tuna.
PM Marape reiterated to Prime Minister Salwai the importance of the Pacific fully getting into downstream processing.
“We have the biggest marine resources yet we collect grants only. This is why PNG is aggressively pushing to have our fish properly harvested and processed,” said PM Marape, pointing to the upcoming mega-project by the National Fisheries Authority to develop the ‘Pacific Industrial Park’ in East New Britain and Madang provinces which will serve as the processing base for tuna from Pacific Island Forum countries who are part of this project.
Prime Minister Marape also took the time to commend Vanuatu for hosting the seat of the Melanesian Spearhead Group which he acknowledged continues to be of service to Melanesian people in the Pacific, including PNG.
The Prime Minister also invited the Government of Vanuatu to partner with PNG’s superannuation funds in hotel development to capitalize on the tourism market in Vanuatu, also pointing out Fiji’s success in such partnership ventures with PNG in the hotel industry.
In other areas, an outstanding commitment by the Government of Papua New Guinea under the leadership of former prime minister, late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare also came to the fore in the discussion when PM Marape offered to honour a longstanding pledge to fund the construction of ‘Kumul Highway’. The Kumul Highway is the main thoroughfare through Capital, Port Vila, that Sir Michael committed to constructing in remembrance of PNG’s intervention in helping Vanuatu contain the political uprising of 1980.